Shengui Changsheng: Start from Zhenwuwei and add some points to cultivate immortality

Excruciating pain! Indescribable pain surged from every corner of my body and soul!
But he gritted his teeth and stubbornly maintained the last bit of the "Nirvana Purification Seal," using his own source core as a bridge to guide this purifying power to wash away the last remaining core of the inner demon!

He knew he might perish completely at any moment. But he also knew he couldn't back down! This was his choice, his commitment to the principles of contracts, and his final tribute to this venerable predecessor!

Just as his consciousness was about to completely sink into pure white, about to be completely swallowed by the power of purification—

In his sea of ​​consciousness, the golden "Guardian Contract" rune, which had been dormant and was obtained from the Ghost Swamp, suddenly burst forth with unprecedented light! This light was not an attack, but an ultimate meaning of "protection" and "stabilization," like the hardest reef, firmly holding his crumbling soul core in place!
At the same time, from the Source Core in his arms came Xuan Shuzi's last faint but compassionate and blessing thought: "Child... hold on... the contract... is not only about sacrifice and purification... but also about... protection and inheritance..."

Immediately afterwards, a purer, gentler warm current, seemingly from the very source of the Great Dao of Contracts, surged out from the source core, mixing with the power of the "Guardian Contract" rune, rapidly nourishing and repairing his body and soul on the verge of collapse!
It was the last power of Xuan Shuzi's remnant soul! Before he was completely annihilated, he infused his last bit of pure Daoist essence and blessing into the source core and passed it on to Fu Shaoping!

The pure white light gradually dimmed.

The purification process is over.

In the center of the plaza, the dark golden stone tablet still stood, but the shimmering "Fragment of the Dao Source" atop it had completely vanished, as if it had never existed. On the pedestal, Xuan Shuzi's corpse remained seated, but now his skin had lost its luster, transforming into true jade, his face bearing a serene and liberated peace. The golden and black vortexes in his eye sockets had disappeared, leaving only two empty holes, witnessing the breathtaking purification that had just taken place.

The blood jade slip and the black bone fragment have vanished without a trace.

Fu Shaoping knelt on one knee, his hands supporting him on the ground, breathing heavily, sweat streaming down his forehead like a stream. His face was as pale as paper, his breath weak, his meridians severely damaged, and his soul felt completely hollowed out, leaving him extremely weak.

But he survived.

With the final protection of Xuan Shuzi and the help of his own "Guardian" rune, he miraculously survived the backlash of the purification power.

He struggled to lift his head and look at Xuan Shuzi's jade-like corpse, his eyes filled with complex emotions—gratitude, admiration, and sorrow.

He struggled to his feet and solemnly performed the three bows and nine kowtows before Xuan Shuzi's corpse.

"Farewell, senior. I will certainly live up to your expectations regarding the path of the Xuan Yuan Qi Sect."

After the ceremony, he looked at the stone tablet. Although the fragments of Dao Source were exhausted, this "Demon-Sealing Tablet" itself was still an extraordinary treasure bound by contract. He attempted to communicate with it using the power of the contract, discovering that the tablet was ownerless and had formed a weak connection with him (due to its participation in the purification). With a thought, he slowly shrank the stone tablet, eventually reducing it to the size of his palm, and put it into his pocket. He left Xuan Shuzi's jade body untouched, allowing it to rest there forever.

After doing all this, Fu Shaoping felt a wave of dizziness and weakness. He immediately took out some pills, swallowed them, and sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing.

He knew it would take him a long time to recover. But the greatest gain from this trip was not any material possessions, but a spiritual cleansing, a personal understanding of the true meaning of the contract's principles of "sacrifice," "protection," and "purification," and... the pure Daoist essence and blessing that Xuan Shuzi bestowed upon him at the end.

This is more precious than any treasure.

When he opened his eyes again, they were still tired, but there was an unprecedented calmness and determination in them.

He took one last look at the shattered core of the sect, a place that bore witness to both glory and tragedy, then turned and slowly walked away along the path he had come from.

They came seeking inheritance and strength.

Upon returning, one carries responsibilities and a journey ahead.

The winds of the Forbidden Zone of Heavenly Meteor still carried a sense of deathly silence and desolation. But Fu Shaoping knew that his path of contracts, after undergoing this phoenix-like purification, had entered a new stage.

Ahead lay the vast, ancient plains, fraught with peril.

But in his heart, there was already light.

The journey home was even more difficult than the journey there.

It wasn't that the path to the Heavenly Meteor Forbidden Zone had changed, but rather Fu Shaoping's condition. He was like a lamp that had run out of oil, struggling to maintain its last glimmer of light as he trudged across the desolate gray plain. Every step strained his damaged meridians, and every breath was accompanied by excruciating pain that felt like his soul was being torn apart.

The "Guardian" rune and Xuan Shuzi's final gift protected his foundation from destruction, but the severity of his injuries far exceeded any previous one. Purifying the backlash from the inner demons was no easy task. The power originating from the fragments of the Dao Source, even as just an aftershock, was enough to annihilate an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, body and soul.

He dared not use "Contractual Spirit Fusion" to communicate with the deathly laws of this place, as that would only increase his burden. Relying solely on his physical strength, moving through the almost stagnant air and the life-sucking environment was as slow as a tortoise crawl.

What's more troublesome is that the source core... has temporarily fallen silent.

Having participated in the purification ritual, drawing upon its last remaining power to protect Fu Shaoping, and also enduring some of the purification backlash, the source core's radiance is now restrained, resembling an ordinary dark gold stone, its primordial power so weak as to be almost imperceptible. It needs time to nurture and recover.

This means that Fu Shaoping has temporarily lost his greatest reliance and source of power. He can only rely on his remaining true essence and the meager amount of pills he carries.

One day, two days... Time became blurred amidst extreme pain and slow passage.

Due to damage to her soul, the "Spellbreaker Eye" could not maintain its full power and could only barely see a few dozen feet ahead. The "Annihilation Worms" lurking under the gray dust could occasionally sense the aura of the weakened creatures and were eager to move.

Fu Shaoping had to force himself to stay alert, and whenever he sensed danger, he would take a detour or release a faint but pure aura of the contract to deter them. The contract's majesty, derived from the "General Principles of Contract Origin" and the purification ritual, seemed to have a natural suppressive effect on these strange creatures born in the "Land of Dao Demise," preventing them from approaching easily.

Taking a detour meant a longer journey and greater exertion. His lips were parched, his steps heavy, and his consciousness fading. Several times, he nearly collapsed and perished in this desolate land. But the instinct for survival, and his unwavering commitment to his promise (to Xuan Shuzi, and to his own path), compelled him to grit his teeth and straighten his spine time and again.

Finally, at the end of the gray plain, the outline of that twisted and strange hill reappeared. Although the twisted hill was dangerous, at least it was away from the core of the "Silent Dead Zone," and the spiritual energy (though thin and turbulent) and vitality (though distorted) from the outside world would gradually recover.

As they entered the hilly area, the colorful mist reappeared, carrying an alluring, mesmerizing quality. However, although Fu Shaoping's spirit was weak, the baptism of the "Light of Purification" had given him a strong resistance to this kind of spiritual erosion. The bewitching mist and enchanting demonic sounds were like a gentle breeze brushing against a stubborn rock, unable to shake him in the slightest.

He stopped trying to figure out the direction and instead, relying on his memory of when he entered and a faint sense of the contract (a vague connection to the direction of the Ancient Qi Valley), stumbled and staggered toward the exit he remembered.

What sustained him was only one thought: to leave this place, find a relatively safe place, heal his wounds, and recover.

Just as he was passing through a narrow canyon made of spiraling black rocks, something unexpected happened!

The danger did not originate from the Heavenly Meteor Forbidden Zone itself.

At the canyon's exit, the previously distorted light suddenly rippled like water. Then, three figures appeared abruptly, as if "squeezed" out of thin air, blocking the only exit!
The leader was none other than the black-clad leader of the Shadow Tower who had been injured and forced to flee in a sorry state by Fu Shaoping using the restrictions of the Ancient Qi Valley in the Frost Snow Strait! But now, he was no longer accompanied by the Blood Shark Guard or the Ice Blood Envoy, but by two cultivators whose auras were more solid, whose eyes were colder, who wore dark silver tight-fitting clothes, and whose faces were covered by metal masks that only revealed their sharp jaws.

These two silver-clad cultivators were both at the late Foundation Establishment stage! They stood there like lifeless statues, yet they exuded a faint, chilling killing intent, like that of a venomous snake, which was firmly locked onto the weak and exhausted Fu Shaoping who had just emerged from the canyon!
The leader of the black-clad figures wore a twisted smile that was a mixture of resentment, suspicion, and morbid excitement. In his hand, he held a palm-sized gray compass with constantly warping edges, its needle pointing madly at Fu Shaoping.

"As expected... it's you!" The black-clad leader's voice trembled slightly with excitement, his gaze fixed on Fu Shaoping, especially lingering on his waist (where the shrunken Demon-Sealing Tablet and the dim Source Core hung). "You survived crossing the spatial turbulence and even managed to emerge from places like the Ancient Qi Valley and the Heavenly Meteor Forbidden Domain... Boy, just how many secrets are you hiding?! Hand over everything you obtained in the Ancient Qi Valley and the Forbidden Domain, along with your bizarre contract techniques, and I can grant you a quick death!"

Fu Shaoping's heart sank. The worst had happened! The people from Youying Tower had actually tracked him here! How did they locate him? Was it the gray compass? Or some kind of imperceptible tracking mark left during the previous battle?
Moreover, the two who came this time were actually two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators! In his current state, he had no chance of winning against even one late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, let alone two, plus a black-clad leader who hated him to the bone and was also in the mid-stage Foundation Establishment!

Desperate situation!

An unprecedented desperate situation!
Fu Shaoping stopped and leaned against a cold rock, barely supporting himself. He didn't speak, but slowly raised his head, his gaze calmly sweeping over the three people blocking his way. There was no fear or despair in his eyes, only a kind of silence that came after experiencing life and death, and a chilling coldness.

"Not saying a word? Scared out of your wits?" The leader in black sneered, taking a step forward. "Very well, I'll take it myself! Two 'Silver Blade Envoys,' please cover for me and prevent this brat from pulling any more tricks!"

He was clearly still wary of Fu Shaoping's previous bizarre methods and dared not go forward alone.

The two silver-bladed envoys nodded slightly, remaining motionless, but their killing intent intensified.

The leader in black took a deep breath, suppressing the tremor in his heart. He drew his black straight sword, its blade gleaming with a dark light, and walked step by step towards Fu Shaoping. He wanted to personally tear this brat who had brought him shame and immense loss to pieces, and then search his soul to seize his treasures!

Ten zhang, five zhang, three zhang...

The distance is getting closer.

Fu Shaoping remained motionless, as if he had truly given up resisting. Only deep within his calm eyes, a faint yet exceptionally resolute golden light was slowly illuminating.

He communicated with the dormant source core in his arms, with the "Guardian Contract" rune in his sea of ​​consciousness, with the newly acquired Demon Sealing Stele, and even more so with... the Daoist charm within his body that originated from Xuan Shuzi, which had not yet completely dissipated and contained the true meaning of purification and protection.

He was gathering his last strength, preparing... to burn everything and deliver the final blow! Even if he couldn't kill the enemy, he would drag this black-clad leader down with him!

Just as the leader in black stepped within ten feet of Fu Shaoping, grinning maliciously, he raised his straight sword, the blade about to fall—

Mutation happens again!
It's not from Fu Shaoping.

Instead, it came from... the depths of that twisted canyon behind him!
Deep within the canyon, the colorful mist had quietly transformed into a deep, dark gold. An aura of immense grandeur, desolation, and unimaginable weight slowly spread out, like the awakening of a slumbering ancient giant.

This aura carried a sense of "contract" that was incongruous with the Heavenly Meteor Forbidden Domain, yet far more ancient! It resonated strongly with the Origin Core on Fu Shaoping's body, the Demon Sealing Stele, and even that wisp of Xuan Shuzi's Daoist charm!
Immediately afterwards, a deep, majestic voice, seemingly traversing endless time and space, resounded directly into the depths of everyone's soul within the canyon:
"A contract... a sacred tradition... how can it be... coveted by... petty villains..."

Before the words were even finished, the spiraling black rocks on both sides of the canyon suddenly came to life! Countless dark golden patterns, composed of pure contractual laws, spread out from the depths of the rocks like vines, instantly covering the entire canyon!
These contract patterns exuded a terrifying pressure, and the two late-stage Foundation Establishment Silver Blade Envoys were the first to be affected. Their expressions changed drastically, and they groaned as they were forced to retreat several steps by this invisible pressure. For the first time, their eyes showed horror!

The leader in black was struck as if by a heavy blow. His straight knife clattered to the ground, and he was slammed to the ground by an invisible force. Blood flowed from his seven orifices, and he was unable to move. His eyes were filled with extreme terror!

Fu Shaoping also felt the pressure, but strangely, it wasn't hostile towards him. Instead, it carried a kind of... scrutiny and... approval?
He turned back with difficulty, gazing into the depths of the canyon.

The dark golden mist slowly swirled, condensing into a blurry, hundred-foot-tall giant phantom! The phantom's face was indistinct, but a pair of eyes, as bright as the sun and moon, filled with wisdom and vicissitudes, were quietly watching him.

The aura of this phantom... is of the same origin as Xuan Shuzi! Yet it is even more ancient and vast! Could it be... the founding patriarch of the Xuan Yuan Qi Sect? Or perhaps an ancient powerhouse who has already ascended to immortality but left behind a contingency plan due to the sect's destruction and the crisis of the Dao lineage?

"The successor...to future generations..." The giant phantom's voice rang out again, tinged with a mixture of relief and weariness, "I am...the first guardian spirit of the Xuan Yuan Qi Sect...the 'Qi'...a...guardian contract...remaining here..."

"You...bear the Source Core...you bear the responsibility of purifying the world...your will is still firm...you can be...the protector of our sect's lineage...in this generation..."

Protectors of the Way? Fu Shaoping was bewildered. (End of Chapter)